The work-from-home (WFH) policy, which will be implemented after Eid al-Fitr by the government, as announced by the Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Airlangga Hartarto, is positioned as an energy-saving measure amidst soaring global oil prices.
At first glance, this policy sounds rational, aimed at reducing fossil fuel use. However, upon closer examination, WFH is actually a superficial solution to a much more complex problem. There are many other items the government could—and should—cut.
Energy savings from reducing the mobility of state civil servants (ASN) do exist, but the scale is relatively small compared to the overall burden on the state budget. The country is not facing a crisis solely due to employee fuel consumption, but rather fiscal pressures from various large-scale programs.
At this point, the government should be brave enough to be more honest and strategic: evaluating programs that absorb significant budgetary resources. One that deserves review is the free nutritious meal program (MBG, which is not free because it is collected from public taxes).
This program certainly has a noble goal: improving children's nutritional quality. However, the accompanying figures raise questions. In 2026, the MBG budget is projected to reach around IDR 335 trillion, a nearly fivefold increase from around IDR 71 trillion the previous year. This drastic increase occurs when system and infrastructure readiness are still far from adequate.
Budget absorption in the initial phase was also suboptimal. Of this large allocation, only a portion was actually distributed effectively. This indicates a gap between policy ambition and implementation capacity on the ground.
The problems don't stop there. Not all of the per-portion budget allocation is actually used for food. A significant portion is instead absorbed by operational and distribution costs. This means that the program, which claims to be "nutritious food," does not fully cover nutrition itself.
On the ground, various problems have also emerged, ranging from questionable food quality to cases of mass poisoning affecting tens of thousands of students. At the same time, limited kitchens and logistics mean the program has not been able to reach all target recipients equally.
In an uncertain global economic climate, every policy cannot be judged solely on its good intentions, but must also be tested for its effectiveness and sustainability. Is the program truly on target? Are its mechanisms robust enough to prevent leakage? And more importantly, can the state afford it without sacrificing other sectors?
WFH will not answer these questions. It only touches the surface, not the root of the problem. True savings lie in the government's courage to reorganize budget priorities, improve governance, and ensure every rupiah is optimally spent.
Evaluation does not mean stopping the MBG, but rather improving it: focusing on the most vulnerable groups, simplifying distribution, and tightening oversight. This way, social goals can still be achieved without unduly burdening the fiscal sector.
Ultimately, the public needs policies that don't merely appear responsive, but policies that truly impact the economy. If savings are the driving force, then the most logical step isn't simply to limit remote work, but rather to rethink how the government spends its money.[]
Photos: Students were poisoned by free nutritious meals in Bireuen Regency, Aceh, Indonesia, in February 2026.